Refrigeration apparatus



Sept. 5, 1967 L. w. FELLWOCK REFRIGERATION APPARATUS Filed Sept. 23, 1965 ,l l I H" all ' F I d-frbi/ e eg g United States Patent 3,339,377 REFRIGERATION APPARATUS Louis W. Fellwock, St. Paul, Minn., assignor to Whirlpool Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 489,475 Claims. (Cl. 62408) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE in the small compartment as a result of the throttling of the flow to the large compartment.

This invention relates to freezers and in particular to forced-air freezers.

In one form of improved freezer, a plurality of chambers are maintained in frost-free condition by flowing refrigerated air therethrough with the heat exchange means for refrigerating the air being disposed exteriorly of the chambers. An excellent example of such a freezer is shown in Wallenbrock United States Patent No. 3,137,146, owned by the assignee hereof. As shown in the Wallenbrock patent, the flow of refrigerated air through the chambers of the freezer is conventionally eifected by an air moving means, such as a fan or blower, which circulates the air from the chambers in heat exchange relationship with an evaporator and then delivers the refrigerated air to the respective chambers in a plurality of air flow paths.

The present invention comprehends an improved freezer construction generally similar to that shown in the above indicated Wallenbrock patent, but having improved means for controlling the refrigeration effected in the respective chambers of the freezer. Thus, a principal feature of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved freezer apparatus.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of such a freezer apparatus having new and improved means for varying the freezing conditions in the respective chambers thereof.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of such a freezer apparatus having new and improved means for providing a flash freeze condition in a selected chamber thereof.

Still another feature of the invention is the provision of such a freezer apparatus having new and improved means for varying the ratio of air flow in the several refrigerated air flow paths to provide a flash freeze condition in the selected chamber when desired.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of such a freezer apparatus including means for providing manual adjustment of the ratio varying means.

A yet further feature of the invention is the provision of such a freezer apparatus wherein the manual adjusting means is provided with a manual operator adjacent the access opening to the chamber arranged for selective flash freezing.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of such a freezer apparatus including wall means defining first and second freezer chambers, means for circulating air to the chambers including air moving means and means for delivering air from the air moving means in a first path to the first chamber and in a second path to the second chamber, means for refrigerating the air moved by the air moving means to below 32 F. for refrigerating each of the chambers to a freezing temperature, and means for varying the ratio of .air flow in the paths to provide selectively a normal freezing condition and a flash freeze condition in the second chamber while maintaining the first chamber in a freezing condition at all times.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary vertical section of a freezer having a flash freeze control means embodying the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken substantially along the line 22 of FIGURE 1 illustrating the manual control means thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical section taken substantially along the line 33 of FIGURE 2 with portions broken away for facilitating the illustration; and

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary enlarged view of a portion of FIGURE 2.

In the exemplary embodiment of the invention as disclosed in the drawing, a refrigeration apparatus generally designated 10 is shown to comprise a chest type freezer having an insulating outer wall 11 including end walls 12, side walls 13, and bottom wall 14. The interior of the cabinet 11 is divided into a large freezer space 15 and a smaller freezer space 16 by a pair of spaced dividing walls 17 and 1-8. Refrigeration apparatus, herein a conventional evaporator 19, is disposed in the passage 20 between walls 17 and 18 to have heat transfer association with air conducted into passage 20 through a plurality of openings 21 and 22 in dividing walls 17 and 18, respectively, communicating with chambers 15 and 16, respectively, in the upper portion thereof.

Herein the air is forcibly drawn through the passage 20 by an air moving means comprising a motor driven fan 23. The lower end of the passage 20 is closed by a fan shroud 24 having an opening 25 in which the fan 23 is coaxially disposed and through which the refrigerated air is drawn by the fan. The fan delivers the refrigerated air in a first path 26 defined by a passage between the shroud 24 and the bottom cabinet wall 14, and in a second path 27 defined by a passage between a passage wall member 28 and the cabinet bottom wall 14. An air distributing conduit 29 may be provided for delivering the refrigerated air from flow path 27 to different portions of the large freezer chamber 15 as desired.

In normal operation, the fan 23 circulates refrigerated air to chambers 15 and 16 suflicient to maintain the chambers at a preselected freezing temperature, such as 0 F. The apparatus for controlling the operation of the evaporator 19 and motor driven fan 23 may be of conventional construction as will be obvious to those skilled in the art, one example thereof being that disclosed in the above indicated Wallenbrock Patent No. 3,137,146.

The present invention comprehends an improved control of the air flow to the respective chambers 15 and 16 increasing the rate of refrigeration in chamber 16 when desired.

As best seen in FIGURES 3 and 4, the ratio of air flow in paths 26 and 27 is controlled herein by a damper 30 disposed in the flow path 27, and means generally designated 31 for adjustably positioning the damper for selectively throttling the air path between preselected minimum and maximum air flow arrangements shown respectively in broken lines and full lines in FIGURE 4. As shown in FIGURE 3, the damper 30 comprises a wall member extending transversely substantially fully across the flow path 27 and having opposite pivot tabs 32 pivotally received in suitable openings 33 in a pair of side walls 34 defining the transverse side boundaries of the flow path 27. The pivotal disposition of the damper 30 is controlled by a manual operator 35 including a slide member 36 horizontally movable in a housing 37 carried on a top wall member 38 closing the upper end of passage 20 and carried by the dividing walls 17 and 18. The wall 38 is provided with a slot 39 upwardly through which a slide handle 40 projects from the slide 36 to be accessible to the user adjacent the upper end of the chamber 16 when the cover 41 of the cabinet 11 is raised to expose the chambers 15 and 16. The housing 37 is provided with a cover portion 42 having a slot 43 substantially coextensive wtih the slot 39 of the top wall 38 and having downturned flanges 44 and 45 at the opposite ends thereof to define stops for limiting the sliding movement of the slider 36 as a result of the abutment of handle 40 therewith.

Sliding movement of the slider 36 is translated into pivotal movement of the damper 30 by means of a Bowden wire cable generally designated 46 having a sheath 47 fixedly secured as by clamps 48 and a wire 49 extending coaxially therethrough and having a disposed distal end defining a turned portion 50 wrapped around a post 51 carried by the damper 30 adjacent an outer edge 52 thereof. Thus, when the slider 36 is moved to the right-hand position as seen in FIGURES 2 and 3, the wire 49 is pulled upwardly to pivot the damper 30 in a clockwise direction as seen in FIGURE 4 and thereby throttle the flow path 27, with a maximum throttling of the flow path being effected when the damper is disposed in a substantially horizontal position as shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 4, which position of the damper is obtained when the slider 36 is at the righthandmost position wherein the handle 40 is in substantial abutment with stop flange 45 of the cover 42. At the other extreme, the damper 30 is in the fully open position shown in full lines in FIGURE 4 when the slider 36 is at the left-hand position of FIGURE 3 wherein the handle 40 abuts the flange 44 as shown in dotted lines therein. In the fully open position, the damper 30 may rest against a stop 53 carried on the cabinet wall 11. The cover 42 may be provided with suitable indicia generally designated 54 for indicating the Flash Freeze setting of the damper in the broken line showing of FIG- URE 4 and the Normal setting of the damper in the full line showing of FIGURE 4.

The damper 30 is arranged so that the flow path 27 is at least partially open at all times. Thus, when the damper 30 is in the broken line Flash Freeze position of FIGURE 4 a small amount of refrigerated air may flow through path 27 to the large freezer chamber 15, thereby maintaining the chamber 15 at the desired freezing temperature. However, when the damper is in the Flash Freeze position shown in broken lines in FIG- URE 4, the ratio of refrigerated air delivered through path 26 as compared to the delivery through path 27 is increased so that a substantial increase in the refrigeration effect in chamber 16 is provided whereby a quick or flash freezing of goods placed in chamber 16 is effected. Illustratively, the damper 30 may be arranged to provide an increase of at least approximately ten percent in the rate of freezing of the goods in chamber 16, as compared to the rate of freezing in the normal arrangement of the apparatus wherein the damper 30 is in the full line position of FIGURE 4. Thus, apparatus 10 functions in a novel and simple manner to provide an improved quick or flash freezing in chamber 16. To effect such flash freezing the user merely opens the cabinet by raising cover 41 and places the goods or articles to be flash frozen in the chamber 16. The damper 30 is then positioned by manual operation of slider 36 to substantially increase the ratio of refrigerated air flow to chamber 16 relative to the air flow to chamber 15, this disposition of the damper being automatically indicated by the engagement of handle 40 with the stop flange 45 as identified by the indicia 54.

The freezer cover 41 may then be replaced in the closed position to allow the goods in chamber 16 to be flash frozen therein. Upon completion of the fast freezing operation, the user may transfer the goods to the large chamber 15 permitting the subsequent use of chamber 16 for flash freezing or further goods. Where no further flash freezing is then intended, the user merely manipulates handle 40 to restore the damper 30 to the full line position of FIGURE 4 whereupon the refrigeration of chambers 15 and 16 to the normal freezer temperature is again effected. In such normal operation of the freezer, the chamber 16 may be utilized in the same manner as chamber 15 for storage of the goods at the freezer temperature.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

The embodiment of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed is defined as follows:

1. Refrigeration apparatus comprising:

wall means defining a first freezer chamber and a second freezer chamber substantially smaller than said first freezer chamber; means for circulating a substantially constant total volume of air to said chambers including air moving means and means for delivering air from said air moving means in a first path to said first chamber and in a second path to said second chamber;

means for refrigerating the air moved by said air moving means to below 32 F. for refrigerating each of said chambers to a freezing temperature;

damper means movably carried in said first path; and control means connected to said damper means for adjustably positioning the damper means between a maximum open position wherein said first path is substantially unobstructed and a maximum restriction position wherein said first path is maintained partially open for varying the ratio of air flow in said paths to provide selectively a normal freezing condition and a flash freeze condition in said second chamber while maintaining at least a preselected minimum delivery of air to said first chamber to maintain said first chamber in a freezing condition at all times.

2. The refrigeration apparatus of claim 1 wherein said control means is arranged to infinitely adjust said damper between said maximum positions.

3. The refrigeration apparatus of claim 1 wherein said control means comprises manually operable means.

4. The refrigeration apparatus of claim 1 wherein said damper is arranged to block selectively one portion of said second flow path in one maximum position and a different portion of said flow path in the other maximum position.

. 5. The refrigeration apparatus of claim 1 wherein said damper is pivotally carried in said second flow path for pivotal movement about an axis spaced from the center 5 of said second flow path to block selectively one portion of said second flow path in one maximum position and a different portion of said flow path in the other maximum position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6 Bretney 62408 Morton 236-45 Borgerd 62408 Mathews 62408 OGrady 62408 Shove 62-408 Wallenbrock 62419 WILLIAM J. WYE, Primary Examiner. 

1. REFRIGERATION APPARATUS COMPRISING: WALL MEANS DEFINING A FIRST FREEZER CHAMBER AND A SECOND FREEZER CHAMBER SUBSTANTIALLY SMALLER THAN SAID FIRST FREZZER CHAMBER; MEANS FOR CIRCULATING A SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT TOTAL VOLUME OF AIR TO SAID CHAMBERS INCLUDING AIR MOVING MEANS AND MEANS FOR DELIVERING AIR FROM SAID AIR MOVING MEANS IN A FIRST PATH TO SAID FIRST CHAMBER AND IN A SECOND PATH TO SAID SECOND CHAMBER; MEANS FOR REFRIGERATING THE AIR MOVED BY SAID AIR MOVING MEANS TO BELOW 32* F. FOR REFRIGERATING EACH OF SAID CHAMBERS TO A FREEZING TEMPERATURE; DAMPER MEANS MOVABLY CARRIED IN SAID FIRST PATH; AND CONTROL MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID DAMPER MEANS FOR ADJUSTABLY POSITIONING THE DAMPER MEANS BETWEEN A MAXIMUM OPEN POSITION WHEREIN SAID FIRST PATH IS SUBSTANTIALLY UNOBSTRUCTED AND A MAXIMUM RESTRICTION POSITION WHEREIN SAID FIRST PATH IS MAINTAINED PARTIALLY OPEN FOR VARYING THE RATIO OF AIR FLOW IN SAID PATHS TO PROVIDE SELECTIVELY A NORMAL FREEZING CONDITION AND A FLASH FREEZE CONDITION IN SAID SECOND CHAMBER WHILE MAINTAINING AT LEAST A PRESELECTED MINIMUM DELIVERY OF AIR TO SAID FIRST CHAMBER TO MAINTAIN SAID FIRST CHAMBER IN A FREEZING CONDITION AT ALL TIMES. 